![]() ![]() Scopophilia is what feminist film critics argue heavily against because the “male gaze” reduces women on screen to an object rather than to a character. ![]() The types of art that use the “male gaze” depend on spectators’ scopophilia: deriving pleasure in looking at a woman for sexual interest. You can use these terms when talking about any visual medium, like comics, art, television, and video games. The audience does not view the woman as a person, but rather as an object, thanks to camera angles and movement, character attire, or scene setting (for a simple example, a woman lying in bed in a provocative manner). The most relevant film term here is the term “gaze” its definition is to “look at steadily and intently, in fixed attention.” In film studies, “the male gaze” specifically refers to when the camera positions itself so as to objectify the woman (or women) on screen. When watching film or animation, certain topics tend to appear when analyzing how and why a scene is shot. I am instead discussing how Bayonetta uses her sexuality in a different way than most women in video games. That discussion is an ongoing one that will probably never be fully answered, but it has no place here. Let me be clear about the goal of this article: I am not discussing whether or not Bayonetta is a feminist icon in gaming. Bayonetta has agency of her own over-sexuality She has the ability for a character to create and change the way she presents herself, and she does so by owning her image and enjoying every minute of it. She is the main star of her game and kicks major butt with witch power and sexual grace, showing off a butt-shot here and there simply because she feels like it. She is not simply some side-girl with no purpose other than to show off her huge breasts. She is one of the few women in video games who is overtly sexy yet owns her sexiness, incorporating it in her personality. People respect Bayonetta and her abilities despite her over-the-top sexuality, or, as I argue, because of it. However, judging by the many reactions people had when she was announced as the newest character in the last Super Smash Brothers game, I do not think that this is true. Some people have (understandable) qualms with Bayonetta as a character: they claim that her over-sexualization – making someone excessively sexual whether in looks or actions – only attracts people to look at her body for pleasure, and that viewers do not respect her as a women of agency. A Comprehensive Theory of Majora’s MaskĮquipped with her four guns and always waging war against the heavenly army, the Umbra Witch Bayonetta has become one of the most recognizable female characters in gaming. ![]()
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